Diagnosing Dismissivness of Church

In his book Church Membership Jonathan Leeman offers some symptoms that might suggest that we are living with some measure of dismissiveness toward church. In this context we are using the word “church” to refer to a local congregation of Christians under the spiritual authority of elders. Take some time to reflect on five of the symptoms from Leeman’s list to see if they may characterize you:

1. Thinking it’s fine to attend a church indefinitely without joining
2. Thinking it’s fine to attend two or more churches simultaneously indefinitely without joining
3. Not integrating Monday-Saturday life with the lives of other saints
4. Making a perpetual habit of being physically absent from corporate worship (and/or Sunday
School and/or shepherding group)
5. Forgetting that you are partly responsible for both the spiritual welfare and physical livelihood of the other members of the church

As with any list used for spiritual diagnosis, this is not intended to bring shame or condemnation. Rather, it is intended to help us remember that Christ deeply loves his church, and that this same kind of love for the church is intended to characterize his followers (cf. John 13:34-35). May we each be continually asking the Lord to increase our love for him and to demonstrate it by our love for others.